The prior art has recognized that, in many electrical installations, it is sometimes desirable that a given electrical outlet (or a group of outlets) be connected to an electrical power supply through a switch located away from the outlet(s). The art also recognizes that, at other times, it is desirable for the outlet(s) to be directly connected to electrical power without being subjected to control by a remote switch.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,246,179 of Ray Berner, there is described an electrical outlet device which may be selectively connected directly to electrical power or, alternatively, may be connected to electrical power through a separate switch externally located with respect to the outlet.
The Berner patent discloses a receptacle providing electrical connections for two plugs, which is also often referred to as a "duplex receptacle." In his receptacle, both plugs will simultaneously either be connected directly to electrical power or, alternatively, to a separate switch. It is not possible, with the device of Berner, to connect one of the plugs directly to the electrical power and the other one to the external switch.
In modern electrical installations, it is often very desirable to be able to connect one of the plugs of a duplex receptacle a constant power source and to connect the other plug to an external switch. Thus, the former plug may be used to power an appliance requiring constant power, such as a clock. The latter plug may be used to power a light, for example, which may be turned off and on with the external switch.
It is an object of this invention to provide an adjustable duplex receptacle comprised of two plugs which is so configured that both of the plugs may be connected to a constant power source or, alternatively, one of the plugs may be connected through an external switch to a constant power source.
It is another object of this invention to provide a simple, inexpensive adjustable duplex receptacle which can readily be changed by manual means so that the electrical connections of at least one of its plugs can be varied.